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AACREDITUNION.ORG | 19 reasonable expectations when they need help from you later in life. Let them manage Help your children get comfortable with money by allowing them to view it being used regularly and eventually handling it on their own. When out shopping, let them know the difference between needs, wants, splurges and smart purchases. You can expose them to banking principles such as preparing deposits, paying bills and understanding debt. Give an allowance that can be tied to chores or simply as a teaching tool on money management, then set rules for savings and how it can be spent. Start with piggy banks and later small savings accounts to help them feel pride about saving their own money and as an opportunity to provide guidance. Get to work As your children become old enough, it could be time to urge them to get a part-time or summer job in order to ramp up their financial responsibility and business smarts. With significant items such as a car or a college education potentially looming, now is the time to expand upon what they have learned about saving, budgets and real-life expenses. These strategies can even include investments such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Debit and credit cards also can help them establish a sound credit record. Teaching your children financial literacy is no easy task, but ongoing challenges for young adults like the rising cost of education and shaky employment prospects make it an absolute necessity. Educate them early and often to create a more secure financial future for your entire family. As a child, Dallas-based freelancer Brian Keagy could never understand how an entire bag of recycled cans only equalled to $2.37. He's gone on to learn better saving options and write about finances and lifestyle for publications like Intelligent Collector and Spirit Magazine. Setting the kids up for success Whether starting their first real job, continuing higher education or some other pursuit, young adults need the proper tools to build financial independence. American Airlines Federal Credit Union offers a number of options to help establish credit, build savings and make big-ticket purchases: – Priority, Flagship, Ascend or uChecking accounts offer features such as monthly dividends and ATM fee rebates. – Five Visa ® Platinum credit card provide options ideal for everyday spending and low rates on balance transfers. – Auto, home, personal and student loans with highly competitive rates are designed to fit your various needs.